Pathfinders blazing a trail of good works

Pathfinders learn camping skills and crafts and attend a yearly international conference. Young kids these days are often looking for something new to do. Happily, the Seventh Day Adventist Church is offering a group called Pathfinders.

Pathfinders is available to any child between the ages of 10 to 14 regardless of religious affiliation. One of the main goals of the group is to teach kids new skills while giving back to the community.

According to their Web site, Pathfinders is a worldwide organization of young people sponsored by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. David Keith, the current director of the group in Sterling, says that Pathfinders is the Christian version of Boy or Girl Scouts.

“We work on honor badges in several different fields and it is one of my main goals to teach the kids how to survive in the wilderness by learning camping skills,” he said.

David’s father started Pathfinders in Sterling in 1969 to teach youngsters how to interact with others outside of their faith, and to help the community.

“We sell citrus fruit from November to April of every year as part of our fundraising effort, and we also are looking for some community service projects for spring,” Keith said.

“The main reason for our fundraising is so no child gets left behind on field trips or other outings like summer camp or international conferences.”

Pathfinders focuses on the spiritual, mental and physical aspects of a human being, trying to put equal emphasis on all three, Keith said. To that end, the group tries to incorporate physical activity and other skills like candlemaking and computers along with bible achievements.

Every year the chapter participates in an International Jamboree. This past year 30,000 kids attended the conference held in Osh Kosh, Wisconsin.

“We want people to know we are here and we want to grow. We believe in kids and want to see them become the best they can be,” Keith said. “One of my main goals is to broaden the horizons of the children. I want to expose them to politics and teach them to be part of the world around them.” Pathfinders is seeking new members plus local people who may appreciate helping to rake leaves or doing some other community-based project. The organization is also seeking folks who may need assistance through the Pathfinders’ local food drive. If you or anyone you know could use a hand or needs more information, contact David Keith at (978) 422-7722.

Said Keith, “I believe the Pathfinder Club is my mission and I want to spread the word. We are here.”